Title:	Killer Jam
	Author:	Karen MacInerney
	Published:	July 28, 2015, Thomas & Mercer
	No. of Pages:	253
	Cover Price:	$15.99 Paperback, $.99 Kindle

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Killer Jam is the first installment in the Dewberry Farm Mystery series by Karen MacInerney. After spending her retirement money to purchase her Grandmother’s farm, Lucy Resnick learns that a neighbor, Nettie Kocurek, has ordered an oil exploration truck to drill up the farm; apparently it’s legal due to some verbiage in Lucy’s purchase contract. However, two days later at the Founder’s Day Celebration in their small town of Buttercup, Texas, Nettie is found murdered with a bratwurst skewer through her heart, and because a jar of Lucy’s Dewberry Jam is near the body, Lucy is a suspect. It just happens that Nettie was despised among the locals – she had been a trouble-maker for years - so there are dozens who could be considered viable suspects with motive, and Lucy must investigate to find the true murderer before she goes to jail. As she investigates, Lucy uncovers information on an old murder, and as she gets close to the truth on both murders, she is in grave danger.

While this is a typical cozy, and a culinary mystery, it is well-written. The characters are fun and likeable. There is no graphic violence, sex, or profanity. While this novel won’t keep you on the edge of your seat with mind numbing suspense, there is enough suspense to keep it interesting, and the book is definitely suitable for mystery lovers of all ages. During the course of the novel, Lucy is definitely aware of her late Grandmother’s aura, and feels like her Grandmother is leading her to the clues she needs in order to find the murderer before she becomes another murder victim.

The book is fast paced, and of course, has a surprise ending. The interactions of the characters will remind readers of typical small town life, and the big bonus is that there are several recipes, one, of course, for Killer Dewberry Jam.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.